(CNN) - John McCain predicted Sunday he would beat Barack Obama at the final presidential debate this week.

"After I whip his you-know-what in this debate, we're going to be going out 24/7," the Republican nominee told volunteers at his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, sparking laughter and applause from the group. McCain immediately added: "I want to emphasize again, I respect Senator Obama. We will conduct a respectful race, and we will make sure that everybody else does, too."

Outside the doors of his campaign offices, McCain is fighting to hold on to the traditionally-red state. McCain talked Sunday about the tough fight for Virginia, where Obama currently leads by four points, 49 to 45, in the state's most recent CNN poll of polls. He also pointed to battlegrounds states like Ohio - which Sarah Palin visited Sunday - and Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.

"And I'm telling you, we're coming on and we're going to work 24/7 for the next - who's counting - 22 days," he said.

McCain acknowledged the dip in his poll numbers since the financial crisis began, but said overall trends were in his favor. "...I'd like to give you a little straight talk, we're a couple points down, ok,
nationally, but we're right in this game," he said. "The economy has hurt us a little bit in the last week or two, but in the last few days we've seen it come back up because they want experience, and they want knowledge and they want vision. And we'll give that to America, and I know that we're going to win this race."

soundoff(240 Responses)

Except recent polls are showing that Obama's lead is slightly larger than a few days ago.

October 12, 2008 08:10 pm at 8:10 pm |

yeswecan

Wow
this republican campaign is going down to the dumps. Use of vitriolic language first and now crude expressions. Mccain has lost it and cannot handle that he will lose.

OBAMA 08/12

October 12, 2008 08:12 pm at 8:12 pm |

Ann

I don't know if McCain is right in this game, but .. Obama is totally wrong for America. His interpretation of the American dream stops on the page that talks about affirmative action. Does he know anything else? His Chicago-built political career simply stinks.

October 12, 2008 08:12 pm at 8:12 pm |

lou

McCain is going to do VERY well. Its obvious.

October 12, 2008 08:12 pm at 8:12 pm |

mitch

i dont think so john. but, i hope you do keep it respectable from here on out.

October 12, 2008 08:13 pm at 8:13 pm |

J

Okay McCain, lets see how much you know Nov. 5th.

October 12, 2008 08:15 pm at 8:15 pm |

jonathan

Does anyone else think that a presidential candidate talking like that is rather unbecoming and ridiculously unpresidential...

October 12, 2008 08:15 pm at 8:15 pm |

Daniel - GA

"We will conduct a respectful race, and we will make sure that "Everybody else does, too."

Are you kidding? Since when is he conducting a respectful race? He lies every chance he gets and all he can say in terms of policy is "I know what it takes to turn the economy around and I'll do it if I'm President." Well, John McCain, why don't you just go ahead and tell us exactly what you're going to do?

October 12, 2008 08:16 pm at 8:16 pm |

Iqbal Alam

As an observer of this campaign, I have to say John McCain's disrespect of his opponent is thoroughly distressing to watch. Not only does it demean McCain, it demeans America, American politics and America's politicians. McCain is doing irreparable harm to America's image and, of course, to his own chances of being elected, which have already been diminished by his choice of running mate.

What is it that makes McCain choose language like "After I whip his you-know-what"!! I have never come across anything quite as unbecoming!

October 12, 2008 08:17 pm at 8:17 pm |

Diane, NJ

Hey John ~ At this point I don't think that you should be making predictions on winning anything, you'll only make yourself look even sillier.

October 12, 2008 08:17 pm at 8:17 pm |

Jackee

McCain and his running mate have the ones running a dirty campaign and now they are trying to say they have not and how much he respects Senator Obama. We know he does not respect him nor does his running mate. All I can say is God help us if those two win on Nov. 4. We are going to lose everything.

October 12, 2008 08:19 pm at 8:19 pm |

Suval

We'll see come Wednesday night but my impression, based on what we have seen so far, is that McCain ought to watch his mouth. Less rhetoric and more substance would have gotten him further.

October 12, 2008 08:19 pm at 8:19 pm |

Big D

How can anyone consider McCain to have a Presidential temperment? He's too impulsive, and bounces from tactic to tactic without an overall strategy, and is willing to give up his integrity to take the low-road with smear attack ads. He picked a VP candidate without vetting her, and without truly considering the consequences. Obama has shown again and again that he's steady and has the strength and the temperment to be President.

October 12, 2008 08:20 pm at 8:20 pm |

Brian

John McCain never provides specifics about anything. "Americans can fix this". "I can find Bin Laden, I know how to find him. I'll get him". and now, I'll beat Obama. When he speaks like this, he never has to provide any logical reaslns, or evidence.
But the talk does not make it true.
He won't look Obama in the eye, and waits until after the debate to accuse Obama of the most heinous things. No wonder he doesn't want to tallk with his enemies ... he can't.

October 12, 2008 08:21 pm at 8:21 pm |

RED EYES

He is lying again.

October 12, 2008 08:22 pm at 8:22 pm |

M. Porter

McCain is a Republican. Republicans have been in office for the last 8 years and our country is going down the tubes. America can not continue on this same path. It's time for a change. I don't see this Republican ticket as good for our country.

Sorry, Senator McCain, this is not a race that you should win.

October 12, 2008 08:22 pm at 8:22 pm |

henrietta

it is good that some laughter can come out of this race, but i have to say mr. mccain we dems are going to win this race.

October 12, 2008 08:22 pm at 8:22 pm |

Sgt C

If I were Senator McCain I wouldn't be holding my breath waiting for that to happen. Obama only needs a draw to win, and he's been performing better than drawish in the last two debates.

October 12, 2008 08:23 pm at 8:23 pm |

soulstar

what happened during the last two debates?? talk is cheap...unless it's a debate i guess.
i used to respect mccain and was even content with the thought of a mccain presidency during the early days of the campaign. it is now clear that mccain will do *anything* to win this election, including throwing his reputation under the bus. what an angry, bitter, old man he has transformed into...not the bastion of bravery and independence i once thought of him as.

October 12, 2008 08:24 pm at 8:24 pm |

Elle

Saying you want to conduct a respectful race does not negate the disrespectful and often outright false remarks you and your running mate have expressed since the last debate.

October 12, 2008 08:28 pm at 8:28 pm |

SDunn

All I can say is McCain better be ready to justify his illegal ties to ciminals over the years, Gordon Liddy is one that comes to mind. If he thinks he's going to bring up garbage at the debate he better be ready to tell us why he was part of a racist organization, why his wife has close ties to Keating still, and why he has close ties to Gordon Liddey who was prosecuted for kidnapping and robbery.

October 12, 2008 08:28 pm at 8:28 pm |

Willis in TX

Once again, very Presidential words from the mouth of John McCain.

What a joke the McCain/Palin ticket is.

Obama/Biden '08!

October 12, 2008 08:29 pm at 8:29 pm |

Bob

Economy has hurt him a "little bit"?

Ya think?

October 12, 2008 08:30 pm at 8:30 pm |

Linda from AZ

What does he think if he adds that he respects Obama whatever is implied prior is ok.

October 12, 2008 08:31 pm at 8:31 pm |

John in Gig Harbor

I would not have chosen the word "whip". Not good. McCain needs to give up and go home. His health will not hold out through a presidency, and that is dangerous for the whole world. The desire to be president should not be put before Country. John's motto needs to be "White House First".

America loves you John, but we don't want you to be our next president. We just can't take another 4 years of failed Bushenomics, nor do we want to see you die in office and let Sarah run the country. She's a dingbat!